Lupara

A homemade lupara

Lupara is an Italian word used to refer to a sawed-off shotgun of the break-open design type. It is traditionally associated with Cosa Nostra, the Italian organized crime group dominant in Sicily for their use of it in vendettas, defense - such as its use against Mussolini's army when he decided to break up the Sicilian mafioso network - and hunting.

Terminology

The word 'lupara' means literally 'wolf-shot', reflecting its lethal power and its history of use in Mafia killings. It is also one of the oldest Italian firearms originating in Sicily. It became popular because it can be more easily handled in close quarters than a longer full length gun. The shorter barrels, generally without a choke, also provide greater spread of the shot increasing the chances that a user will hit their desired target.

From the word lupara originates the Italian expression of lupara bianca (white lupara), a term especially used by journalists to refer to a mafia-style slaying in which the victim's body is deliberately hidden. The word was also popularised by the author Mario Puzo in his bestselling novel The Godfather where the lupara is used extensively by the mafia in Sicily, including Michael Corleone's bodyguards.

Example

An early example of criminal use of the weapon in the United States was the assassination of the New Orleans chief of police, David Hennessey, in October 1890. The murder punctuated a rivalry between gangs of Sicilian fruit company stevedores whose contracts did not fall under the auspices of the local longshoreman's union. A pile of sawed-off shotguns was displayed after the murder, including a homemade gun with a folding iron stock, and another with a hook on its stock with which to hang the gun under a coat. Racist provocation following the failed prosecution of a group of suspected men resulted in a mob assault on the New Orleans Parish Prison and the subsequent lynching of many Italian prisoners. This was possibly the first time the term "Mafia" was used during a criminal trial.

References

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